Garage

ABSTRACT

A garage including two mobile platforms for motor vehicles arranged one above the other, the lower platform being rotatable about an axis located at the end remote from the entrance to the garage, and the upper platform being connected with the lower platform in such a manner that either platform can be selectively placed adjacent the entrance.

United States Patent [22] Filed: Oct. 1, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 185,824

Related [1.8. Application Data [63 j Continuation of Ser. No. 35,495, May 7, 1970, abandoned, w hic h i s a division of Ser. No. 872,431, Oct. 29, 1969, which is a continuation of Ser. No. 611,003, Jan. 23, 1967, abandoned.

52 115.0 ..'.....214/l6.1 ED 51 1 I ..E04h 6/06 58 FieldofSea'rch ..2l4/l6.lR,l6.l ED

Klaus 1 1 Jan. 23, 1973 54] GARAGE 900,008 12/1953 Germany ..2l4/l6.1 ED

[76] Inventor: Kaspar Klaus, Schlachlhofstrasse $322322: g3

46 Memningen, Germany Primary Examiner-Gerald M. Forlenza Assistant ExaminerR. B. Johnson Attorney-Holman & Stern [57] ABSTRACT A garage including two mobile platforms for motor vehicles arranged one above the other, the lower platform being rotatable about an axis located at the end remote from the entrance to the garage, and the upper platform being connected with the lower platform in such a manner that either platform can be selectively placed adjacent the entrance.

2 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PAIENIEDJAH23 197a 3.712.485 sum 1 or 4 13 30 3'1 M m/M ATTORNEY;

PATENTEDJAH 23 I975.

SHEET 2 OF 4 ATTORNEYS PATENTEDJAH 23 I973 3.712.485

saw u 0F 4 INVENTOR ATTORNE GARAGE This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 35,495 filed May 7, 1970, now abandoned, which is a divisional of application Ser. No. 872,431, filed Oct. 29, I969, which is a streamlined continuation 'of Ser. No. 6l 1,003, filed .Ian. 23, I967, now abandoned.

The present invention relates to a garage with two mobile platforms for motor vehicles arranged above each other.

It is the purpose of the invention to provide a garage of the above-mentioned type which makes it possible to this, the space available in the individual parking places shall be sufficient to park motor vehicles of practically any type on either of. the two platforms.

this platform is horizontal. The upper platform is coupled tothe lower one and during the lifting movement thereof there is also an approximatelyarcuate movement directed away from the entrance.

In the garage according to the invention the lower platform is thus essentially only lifted with its end adjacent the entry if this platform is to be made accessi- For the drive of the articulated square formed by a part ofthe base frame 3, the rods 4 and 5 and the upper platform 1, a cylinder-piston combination 30 is provided, which is articulated at the articulation point 31 on the base frame 3 and the articulation point 32 of the rods 4. According to the admission of pressure medium ble, or lowered if the, upper platform is to be used. The

upper platform carries out, as compared to the lower platform, a more or less wide shifting movement. The accessibility of the lower platform is improved thereby, the necessary inclinations of the platforms are diminished and the complete space requirement of the double garageis reduced. V

The invention is hereafter explained on the basis of some preferred embodiments, I

FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 show two operating positions ofia garage according to the invention;

FIG. 3 shows a modified embodiment, and

FIGS. 4rd 8 show further variations of the invention.

In the embodiment according to FIGS. I and 2,the upper platform is designated. with the reference platform 2.

to the cylinder piston group 30, the upper platform 1 can be shifted from the position shown in FIG. 1 in that according to FIG. 2 and vice-versa.

The lower platform 2 is articulated at 13 on the base frame 3 and connected by means of the connecting link 14 between the articulation points 15 and 16 with the rod 5. The lower platform is thus moved simultaneously with the upper platform I but the path of movement of the lower platform 2 is different from the path of movement of the upper platform 1.

In the representation according to FIG. 1 thegarage is in the drive-in position for the upper platform 1. In the representation according 'to FIG. 2 the lower platform 2 can be used or the lower vehicle 6 can leave the frame 3. The pivot arm is arranged laterally of the lower platform 2 and preferably one pivot arm 17 is provided on each side of the platform 2. Between the base frame 3 and the pivot arm 17, the cylinder-piston combination 20 is arranged, into which pressure medium can be admitted'by the driving arrangement 21, consisting of motor and pumps. The driving arrangement 21 is situated in the central plane of the garage. In order to exclude a collision of the lower platform 2 with the driving arrangement 21 in the lowered position of the lower platform 2, this lower platform 2 has a recess or is subdivided in two driving tracks respectively.

The pivot arm 17 acts through the intermediate rod 22' on the lower platform 2 and the drive of the upper platform I'takes place by means of the rods 14 and 5.

In'the embodiment according to FIG. 4 the upper platform 1 with the rigid double stays 24 and 25 is rotatable around the articulation 23 on the base frame 3. The lower platform 2 moves around the articulation 13 at the front end. The tilting arm 26 which is carried and driven in the same manner as the pivot arm '17 in the embodiment according to FIG. 3, is connected on its free extremity 27 with a rod 28 engaging the upper platform I and driving it. The rod 29 represents the connection between the tilting arm 26 and the lower In the representations of FIGS. 5 to 8 the lowered positions are shown in dot-and-dash lines along with the lifted positions of the two platforms.

In the embodiment according to FIG. 5, this upper platform I is supported similar to the embodiment according to FIG. 4 on the base frame 3 by means of pivot 23 and supports 34 and 35 rigidly connected with the upper platform. The lower platform 2 is connected with the upper platform 1 by means ofa tension member 38 while the lifting device 37 which may be similarly shaped to thecylinder and piston combination20 and 30, engages on the upper platform 1. By the tension member 38 it is possible for lower platform 2 to remain in its lowermost position during part of the lowering movement of the upper platform I. The tension member 38 which has a telescope-type configuration is pushed together until the extremity at the side of the entrance of the upper platform 1 is in its drive-in position. Thereby sufficient space is left for the vehicle on the lower platform.

Instead of the tension member 38, a rope, a chain, or the like may be used. This is shown in FIG. 6. FIG. 6 is different, furthermore, from the embodiments described above by the fact that the upper platform 1 is supported by means of a supporting member 36 on the articulation 23 which is provided above the base frame and connects it with the latter by means of the support 40, otherwise supporting member 36 is the same as supports 34 and 35 of H6. 5.

In the embodiment according to FIG. 7, the two platforms are connected with each other by rigid support 33 and 41 to form a rigid structure. This structure is moved by a cylinder-piston combination 42 and 43, sunk in the floor of the garage and fastened on the lower surface of the lower platform 2.

The embodiment according to FIG. 8 is finally characterized by the rigid supports 34 and 35 which cause similar to the embodiment according to FIG. a supporting of the upper platform 1 in the common articulation 23 for both platforms. For the movement of the platform a pivot arm 12 is provided, at the free extremity of which the cylinder-piston combination is fastened. The connection articulation of the cylinderpiston combination 20 and of the pivot arm 12 is designated as 44 and serves simultaneously as a fastening point for the intermediate rods 28 and 29. The rod 28 connects the cylinder-piston combination 20 with the upper platform 1, while the rod 29 represents the connection with the lower platform 2.

Although the invention has been described and illustrated in detail, it is understood that this does not delimit the invention. The spirit and scope of this invention is limited only by the language of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A garage for parking motor vehicles in a minimum amount of space, said garage comprising an entrance; a cavity below the level of said entrance capable of containing at least one motor vehicle; a base frame positioned at the bottom of said cavity; support means at the end of said cavity opposite said entrance; two motor vehiclestorage platforms in stacked relationship; pivot means on said support means at a height approximately equal to the entrance level; connecting means joining the upper platform with the lower platform, at least one of said connecting means being rigidly attached to the upper platform and pivotably connected to said support means by said pivot means; and lifting means to lift and lower the upper and lower platforms so as to selectively position either platform adjacent said entrance to receive and exit motor vehicles, and wherein said one connecting means is rigidly connected to the portion of the upper platform opposite from said entrance; said lower platform is pivotably connected at the end thereof opposite from said entrance to said base frame; said lifting means is connected to the portion ofthe upper platform towards said entrance and said connecting means includes tension means connected between the upper and lower platforms towards said entrance so that when sa|d lifting means is actuated, both platforms pivot about their respective pivot points.

2. A garage for parking motor vehicles in a minimum amount of space, said garage comprising an entrance; a cavity below the level of said entrance capable of containing at least one motor vehicle; a base frame positioned at the bottom of said cavity; support means at the end of said cavity opposite said entrance; two motor vehicle storage platforms in stacked relationship; pivot means on said support means at a height approximately equal to the entrance level; connecting means joining the upper platform with the lower platform, at least one of said connecting means being rigidly attached to the upper platform and pivotably connected to said support means by said pivot means; and lifting means to lift and lower the upper and lower platforms so as to selectively position either platform adjacent said entrance to receive and exit motor vehicles, and wherein said one connecting means is at least one rigid member rigidly attached to the ends of each of the upper and lower platforms opposite said entrance and said rigid member is pivotably connected to said pivot means at a point intermediate its attachment to the upper and lower platforms; said connecting means including at least one further rigid member rigidly attached to the portions of each of the upper and lower platforms adjacent said entrance; and said lifting means is attached to the lower platform so that when it is actuated, both the upper and lower platforms pivot about said pivot means. 

1. A garage for parking motor vehicles in a minimum amount of space, said garage comprising an entrance; a cavity below the level of said entrance capable of containing at least one motor vehicle; a base frame positioned at the bottom of said cavity; support means at the end of said cavity opposite said entrance; two motor vehicle storage platforms in stacked relationship; pivot means on said support means at a height approximately equal to the entrance level; connecting means joining the upper platform with the lower platform, at least one of said connecting means being rigidly attached to the upper platform and pivotably connected to said support means by said pivot means; and lifting means to lift and lower the upper and lower platforms so as to selectively position either platform adjacent said entrance to receive and exit motor vehicles, and wherein said one connecting means is rigidly connected to the portion of the upper platform opposite from said entrance; said lower platform is pivotably connected at the end thereof opposite from said entrance to said base frame; said lifting means is connected to the portion of the upper platform towards said entrance and said connecting means includes tension means connected between the upper and lower platforms towards said entrance so that when said lifting means is actuated, both platforms pivot about their respective pivot points.
 2. A garage for parking motor vehicles in a minimum amount of space, said garage comprising an entrance; a cavity below the level of said entrance capable of containing at least one motor vehicle; a base frame positioned at the bottom of said cavity; support means at the end of said cavity opposite said entrance; two motor vehicle storage platforms in stacked relationship; pivot means on said support means at a height approximately equal to the entrance level; connecting means joining the upper platform with the lower platform, at least one of said connecting means being rigidly attached to the upper platform and pivotably connected to said support means by said pivot means; and lifting means to lift and lower the upper and lower platforms so as to selectively position either platform adjacent said entrance to receive and exit motor vehicles, and wherein said one connEcting means is at least one rigid member rigidly attached to the ends of each of the upper and lower platforms opposite said entrance and said rigid member is pivotably connected to said pivot means at a point intermediate its attachment to the upper and lower platforms; said connecting means including at least one further rigid member rigidly attached to the portions of each of the upper and lower platforms adjacent said entrance; and said lifting means is attached to the lower platform so that when it is actuated, both the upper and lower platforms pivot about said pivot means. 